Knockdown chest of drawers



Feb. 24, 1942. DERMAN y KNOGKDOWN` CHEST OF' DRAWERS Filed July 14, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 24, 1942. H. DERMAN KNOCKDOWN CHEST OF DRAWERS 2 sheetssheet 2 Filed July 14, 1959 INVENTOR HAHRYfRMA/v Swf%,

A'TORNE objects in view,

Patented Feb. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE KNocKDoW-N cnEs'r-:QFDRAWERS Harry Dorman, Laurelton. N.v Y. i Application July 14, 1939, serial No. 284,421

, s anims. `(c1. 31e-.144)

vThis invention relates to what is commonly referred to as a chest of drawers,l or in other words,

' a cabinet having a series of vertically spaced drawers for the storage of various articles; and the object ofV my invention is of vthe character described which is sof-constructed as to provide the collapsing or `knocking down of the entire device'for the packing and shipment thereof in a relatively thin package Asubstantially of the width governed by the width a of the resulting chest or cabinet, and also of a length substantially equal to the height thereof; a still further object being to provide a knockdown structure of the cabinet described consisting of a wooden skeleton frame forming guide supports and spacing means for the respective drawers employed and upon which is arranged a single sheet of paper or corrugated board to form back and side walls of the resulting chest or cabinet; and further `to the inclusion of a topwall member forming a closure for the top of the cabinet; a still further object being to provide a plurality of drawers each composed of a single collapsiblel sheet of material with means supporting the sheet in extended position in forming the drawer; a still further object being to provide means for reinforcing thefront corner portions of the frame intermediate adjacent drawers to maintain fixed relationship andsizingof the vdrawer receiving openings at the iront of the Y cabinet; la still further object being to provide a structure wherein part of the skeleton frame of the cabinet is foldably and collapsibly coupled with respect to the back wall member of the cabinet in maintaining predetermined relationship with respect thereto; and withthese and other the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purpose specied which is simple in construction, eicient in use, and which is constructedas hereinafter described and claimed. e 4 Y The invention is fully ldisclosed in the following specication, of which the" accompanying drawings form fa part, in which the separate parts of my inventionare designated by suitable Areference characters in eachoi' the views,` and in which: f y

Fig. 1 'is a front view of a chest or cabinet made according to my invention. y

Fig. 2 is a perspective view yshowing the exploded arrangement of the respective chest or cabinet parts, and indicating only one of the ldrawer members employed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional detailfview of vone 4corner portion ofthe chest. y

to provide `a device Fig. 4 is 'a lperspective view of one inner corner portion of the frame showing one of the reinkind commonly composedof paper reinforced by wood strips or frame parts, it has been the common practice to construct a complete cabinet wherein the Various Wall parts, drawers, and the like, are iixedly secured in an extended position, thus necessitating the packing and shipping of the chests or cabinets in their `set up condition, the result vof which has brought about a large expense in the cost of handling and transportationof the products by reason of the excessive amount of room occupied thereby and the lim- 'ited number of light products that can be stored and packed in va. freight car, truck, or other means oftransportation. Still further, objection -has been raised to the conventional type of device-of vthis kind by reason of the damage caused thereto inthe shipment and handling thereof, notwithstanding the care taken in packing the assembled chests in corrugated or other protective containers. Many of these cabinets are comparatively klarge in construction and are bulky `and awkward toA handle evenfthough the weight thereof'is not suncient to mention. It is the purpose of my invention to so construct a chest or cabinet ofthe typeand kind under considerationl as `to provide independent parts which f areireadily attachable and detachable to provide quick'setting up of the device as well as the quick `disassemblage of the device for shipment and transportation thereof.

`Itl will, oi` course `vention` is applicable for the construction of chests or cabinets of many types and kinds with different arrangements of drawers, and of different external shapes. However, in the accompanying drawings,v I haveshown to illustrate one Aadaptation of my invention, a simple and more or less conventional form of cabinet or chest of drawers.

`In Figrl ofthe drawings I have shown at Hl a cabinetconsisting of airont frame part Il of rectangular cross-sectional'form; that is-to say, `comprising grooved side `rails l2, a fgrooved top bo understood that the iiicontour of the drawer rail I 3, a series of vertically spaced drawer partitioning bars I 4, the ends of which have a tongue and groove or other Xed mounting in the rails I2. This mounting is further reinforced by angle-iron plates I5, note Fig. 4, arranged upon the inner surfaces of the rails I2 with a part I6 extending into the groove or channel I2a of the rail, with the other part I1 arranged upon the inner surface of the rail I2, and including centrally thereof a long attaching plate I8 through which nails or other fastening devices I9 are passed into the bars I4. The reinforcing plates I serve to strengthen the mounting of the bars and also to prevent spreading of the rails, thus maintaining substantially positiveV rectangular receiving openings formed in the frame II; five of these openings being shown in the present construction 'to receive ve similar drawers 2|.

The bottom bar I4 also forms the bottom cross rail of the frame, thelower ends of therails I2 protruding to form supporting feet 22 which are reinforced by corner braces 23. The upper surfaces only of the bars I4 are provided adjacent the reinforcing plates I5 with substantially dovetailed sockets 24, for receiving dovetailed couplings 25 at the forward end of drawer supporting rails 26. These rails are made up in two unit parts which are xedly joined or secured to a vertical frame part or riser 21. In other words, risers 21, with the five rails 26 attached thereto, form similar additional parts of the knockdown structure. The rails 26 are readily attachable and detachable with the bars I4 by simply dropping the same into the sockets 24 or moving the same upwardly therefrom.

Another of the cabinet unit parts comprises a sheet 28 of cardboard, corrugated board, or the like, treated, coated or otherwise prepared .at least on the outer surface thereof to give any desired ornamental effect. This sheet is simply scored and folded to form a back wall 29, and two similar side walls 3l), the forward edges of which are adapted to lit snugly in-the groove I2cfl of the rails I2 in assemblingthe device.

Suitable fastening devices are provided to retain the walls in connection with the rails I2, and should preferably be vof a type such as upholstery tacks, which can be readily removed, and especially when the further transportation of the device is contemplated. 4 v l,

The lower edges of the side walls 30 are also preferably reinforced by channel strips 3| secured thereto, and the lower surfaces of these strips will be arranged in alinement with the lower-ends ofthe feet completely assembled. This will support the lower edge of the back wall as well as the surface on which the cabinet is arranged, but it is here to be understood that the lower ends 21a of the rails 21 protrude suiciently to form supporting feet to support the cabinet at the rear thereof. `The upper ends 21h of said rails t snugly upon the top wall part 32 of the cabinet, which part is readily attachable and detachablevwithrespect to the upper edges of the back and side Walls 29 and 3U. The top wall has downwardly extending channel strips 33 at the rear and side edges thereof for engaging the upper edgesof the back and side wall parts. The top wall proper comprises a sheet of cardboard or corrugated board, theforward edge 34fof whichY protrudes beyond the strips 3,3 to enter a groove I3a formed in the top rail I3 of theframe II. I -Iere again, suitable fastening devices may be used in 22 when the cabinet is" A21 need not be coated as they are entirely concealed within the cabinet securing the forward edge 34 to the rail I3, and also in securing the ange strips 33 to the upper edges of the back and side walls.

As previously stated, each drawer 2| is of the same size and in like manner of the same construction. As these drawers form the subject matter of a companion application filed of equal date herewith, detailed reference to these drawers will be omitted except in disclosing that the drawers are composed from a single sheet of cardboard or corrugated board cut and scored to form a bottom wall 35, upwardly foldable front and rear walls 36, 31. The upwardly foldable side walls 38 have their corner portions reinforced by integral flaps 39 and channelled fastening strips 46 are disposed upon the upper edges of the front and back walls and interlock with corner flanges as at 39 in holding the drawer wall parts together, suitable means, such as tacks, being provided for retaining the wall parts against displacement from the strips at the corner portions thereof.

With thisv construction, the outer surfaces of the wall parts of the drawer may be coated or otherwise characterized to that employed on the outer surfaces of the walls 29 and 30, or may be contrasting thereto, depending entirely upon the effect which is desired. It is also preferred that handle members in the form of wooden blocks 4I be attached centrally of the outer walls 36 of the drawer members to facilitate convenient movement of the drawer members forwardly and backwardly in the cabinet or chest.

With the construction as shown in Figs. l to 4 inclusive, 1t will be understood thatthe several and a members 2I are assembled andl then placed in the drawer receiving openings 20 and tested for free action 1n each of the openings 2| and over and match the coatingA applied tothe rails or bars of the frame I I; vwhereas'they rails 26 and for decorative purposes,

when the doors are in closed position. Y y

Instead of arranging and assembling the parts as above described, -it isalso within^the spirit of my invention to first hingedly` attach the -rails `:e,tragedie i121 tothe inner surfaces ofi the Lbackiwalll 29 of tl-'recabin'et by simply employing. strong lflexible fabric hinges 42 which yare-seciiredto the inner :surface ofthe wall 2'9-and to! the VLsurface of the Mrails 2-1 so --as to allow the rails `.to-swing `upon the' inner suriace of -the back iwall-29 in theman- #ner illustrated in part indotted lines in Fig- `5 fof the drawings, andas shown in full :lines in 6 ofthe drawings, inlwhich gurexiit ywill be `notedf-fthatthe rails -26 nest one above the other; 'there/being sulcient fleXu-reftherein to Aaccom- :plislrtlfiis result notwithstanding thesame saline- Jment of` thefatt'ache'dendsofthefrails26 to the rails or risers 21. In vthis way, bothfunit'parts L'26, 21 r'will be definitely located ywith respect to "-the wall 29, and will lbe ffoldable or Acollapsible 4with 'respect to the `unliti2 8, thus'eliminatingthe 'necessity of independently handling these parts.

In assemblage, it will belapparent -that the side walls 30 areextended outwardly in moving the drawer guiding `rails liorwardly f'orvattachment t"tothe bars ITIL-*after which the side "Wa1ls3llwill be moved into the grooves |211.v On the other hand, the forward edges of the sidewalls -30 `may be first coupled with the rails I2, `with the railsZb 'resting upon the `upper surfaces of the vbars I4, after which these rails maybe set in the dovetailed grooves 24 of lsaid rails.

By constructing a Acabinet of thetype and kind under consideration in the manner described, in addition to vproviding a stronger and mor-e dura- 'Yble-cabinet of the type under consideration and in the saving of usual labor costs on the parts of the manufacturer in assembling the cabinet, another tremendous saving is effected in the ability of a manufacturer to ship a greater number of the cabinets or chests in a car or truck for transporting the same. Furthermore, a material saving is effected in the storage space required for the storage of manufactured products. Beyond these advantageous features, it is also to be borne in mind that the more compact package facilitates the more convenient handling thereof and eliminates breakage or other destruction to the product, this being commonly experienced in the sale of completely assembled products of this type and kind.

It will readily appear that by spacing the bars I4 differently in the frame I I, drawers of different heights may be provided, the arrangement of the rails 26 on the risers 21 being correspondingly arranged; and the set of drawers 2| employed will be made of corresponding sizes. It will also be understood that the rails 21 may be secured to the back wall 29 in the structure as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, although I have found from experience that the snug engagement of the wall 29 with the risers 21 is suicient to maintain the parts in proper position.

The drawers 2l will be made to t snugly between the rails I2, but will have slight clearance with the inner surfaces of the side Walls 30, these walls being sufiiciently close, however, to guide the -drawers in their sliding movement within the cabinet.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A chest of drawers of the class described, comprising a plurality of independent skeleton and ber board parts, said parts being collapsible into a thin knockdown package and when assembled forming a chest having back, side and top wall parts with a skeleton frame forming part of lsaid chest, said skeleton frame comprising a ffrontframepart dividingthefront of the chest into drawer receiving openings and supporting forlwarde'dge's oi the side and top wall parts, and yother inner f-ramesdetachably connected with V'the `front frame and extending between said front .framefandnthe backwall of .the chest to divide the chestlint'o vertically spaced drawer receiving wand supportingcompartments.

`2.23, cabinet structure for knockdown chest of :drawersof the class described, said cabinet ,comprising detachably and collapsibly related parts, one part comprising zapfront skeleton frame have vertical side rails joined by vertically spaced Lhorizontal cross bars, another 4part comprising l`anfsingle :sheet-:of material folded to form back and :side walLparts, forward edges of the side --wallIpart's vbeing Idetachably coupled with the kvertical rails `of Isaid skeleton frame, a top Wall part havingi'depending back vand side flanges engaging theupper edges of the back and side walls `of .the second named part, two other skeleton 'framesarranged between the back wall and the front* skeleton frame, and said last named frames having horizontal rails detachable from and Varra-I-iged in alinement with the cross bars of the frontskeleton frame.

3. Aiknockdown chest of drawers wood skeleton frame parts, paper board back,

`side `andtop'wall parts,'all of said parts being detachable and collapsible yfor compact packing, `the wood `skeleton frame parts comprising a front frame unit having a rseries of drawer openings and-two similar drawer supporting and guiding yframes,detachably ycoupled with respect to the front ramelunit, the back and side wall part comprising a unitary` sheet `folded. at the intersections of the back and side walls, theftop wall having depending ilanges engaging upper edge portions of the back and side walls, and the forward edges of the side and top walls engaging the front frame unit in the assemblage of the chest with the back wall engaging said drawer supporting and guiding frames.

4. A knockdown chest of drawers of the class described comprising a plurality of detachably coupled unit chest parts, said parts comprising a front skeleton frame having side rails and vertically spaced cross rails forming within the frame a series of vertically spaced drawer receiving openings, two similar reinforcing and drawer supporting frames each comprising vertical rear rails and forwardly extending drawer supporting rails detachable from the cross rails of the front frame, a single sheet of scored and folded material forming back and side walls of the chest, the side walls being detachable from the side rails of the front frame with the back wall engaging the vertical rails of the drawer supporting frames, yand a top wall having depending back and side flanges engaging upper edges of the back and side walls with the forward edge of the top wall engaging the uppermost cross rail of the front frame when the chest is in setup condition.

5.` A knockdown chest of drawers of the class described comprising a plurality of detachably coupled unit chest parts, said parts comprising a front skeleton frame having side rails and vertically spaced cross rails forming within the frame a series of vertically spaced drawer receiving openings, two similar reinforcing and drawer supporting frames each comprising vertical rear rails and forwardly extending drawer supporting rails detachable from the cross4 rails of the front frame, a single sheet of scored and composed of.

folded material forming back and side walls of the chest, the side walls vbeing detachable from the side rails of the front frame with the back wall engaging the vertical rails of the drawer supporting frames, a top wall `havingxdepending back and side flanges engagingupper edges of the back and side walls with the forward edge of the top wall engaging the uppermost cross rail of the front frame when the chest is in set-up condition, and means hingedly supporting the verticalrails of the reinforcing and drawer supporting frames upon the inner surface of the back wall of the chest.

6. A knockdown chest of drawers of the class described comprising a plurality of detachably coupled unit chest parts, said parts comprising a front skeleton frame having side rails and vertically spaced cross rails forming within the frame a series of vertically spaced drawer receiving openings, two similar reinforcing and drawer supporting frames each comprising vertical rear rails and forwardly extending drawer supporting rails detachable from the cross rails of the front frame, a single sheet of scored and folded material forming back and side walls of wall engaging the vertical rails of the drawer supporting frames, a top wall having depending back and side flanges engaging upper edges of the back and side walls with the forward edge of the top wall engaging the uppermost cross rail of the front frame when the chest is in setup condition, and means comprising angle-iron plates for reinforcing the front frame where the cross bars join the Vertical side rails,

l25 the chest, the side walls being detachable from the side rails of the front frame with the back 7. In a knockdown chest of drawers of the class described comprising a cabinet composed of detachably and collapsibly related parts forming when assembled a plurality of drawer receiving compartments, one part of the cabinet comprising a sheet folded to form back and side Wall members, a front frame secured to the side wall members of the rst part, said frame having vertically spaced rails forming the drawer compartments of the cabinet, a top part secured to the frame and upper edges of the back and side walls, two other frame parts hingedly supported on the inner surface of the back wall part and collapsible ilatly thereon in the collapsed position of the wall members, and said frame parts comprising a plurality of vertically spaced rails extending forwardly in the cabinet detachable from the rails of the front frame to form drawer guiding and supporting members.

8. In a knockdown chest of drawers employing detachably and collapsibly related back and side wall and top wall parts, a reinforcing and partitioning skeleton frame detachable with respect to said parts, said skeleton frame comprising a front frame part having vertical side rails joined by vertically spaced horizontal rails, and two similar drawer supporting frames comprising vertical back rails and forwardly extending horizontal rails, and means detachably coupling the horizontal rails of the drawer supporting frame parts with corresponding rails of the first named frame part adjacent the vertical rails thereof.

HARRY DERMAN. 

